Moment Orlando’s first self-driving shuttle bus CRASHES just two days after launch
Moment Orlando’s first self-driving shuttle bus CRASHES just two days after launch
- A new driverless shuttle service in the city of Orlando ended just days after the public transit system unveiled the new vehicles in an accident
- The new ‘SWAN’ system – short for Shuttling With Autonomous Navigation – aims to travel to five stops on a one-mile loop
- Video from Tuesday shows the SWAN shuttle ramming the bus from the city’s LYMMO system in downtown Orlando
A new driverless shuttle service in the city of Orlando ended just days after the public transportation system unveiled the new vehicles in an accident, capturing the crash on social media.
The new ‘SWAN’ system – short for Shuttling With Autonomous Navigation – is intended to travel to five stops on a one-mile loop using one of Orlando’s regular bus routes.
The stops include areas of the University of Central Florida campus and the city’s “Creative Village.”
The new shuttles launched on Sunday, August 20, and the now-viral video was shot just two days later.
Tuesday’s video shows the SWAN shuttle ramming the bus from the city’s LYMMO system in downtown Orlando.
A new driverless shuttle service in the city of Orlando ended just days after the public transit system unveiled the new vehicles in an accident, capturing the crash on social media
“Tried out the new SWAN shuttle in downtown Orlando today,” wrote one TikToker capturing the moment. “We crashed.”
Police said the shuttle failed to register the Orange Line LYMMO bus traveling in front of it.
Authorities claimed there was no effect on the regular schedule for SWAN or the buses.
“There was no impact to service in this area as a result of the incident, as LYMMO buses are on standby to fill as part of the autonomous shuttle pilot plan,” the agency added.
“At approximately 1:05 p.m. on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, an incident occurred on Terry Avenue near Livingston Street between a LYMMO bus and the SWAN Shuttle resulting in minor cosmetic damage to both vehicles,” the OPD said in a statement.
They added that “no passengers were injured.”
By the end of the day, at 6:30 p.m., the autonomous shuttle had resumed regular service.
The program is a pilot operated by a local autonomous vehicle company called Beep, in partnership with the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority.
Police said the shuttle failed to register the Orange Line LYMMO bus traveling in front of it
Tuesday’s video shows the SWAN shuttle ramming the bus from the city’s LYMMO system in downtown Orlando
The new ‘SWAN’ system – short for Shuttling With Autonomous Navigation – aims to travel to five stops on a one-mile loop using one of Orlando’s regular bus routes
“The SWAN, our free autonomous vehicle shuttle, began testing this morning at Creative Village, providing an innovative transportation option for downtown Orlando residents, students, and visitors,” the city wrote on Instagram last week.
“The shuttle, which operates on the LYMMO Orange Line, will connect Lynx Central Station and SunRail to Creative Village.”
The pilot program is scheduled to run for six months Click Orlando.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Beep for comment.